title: Coronary artery plaques and myocardial ischaemia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To prospectively examine coronary artery plaques as predictors of myocardial ischaemia using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR).
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-two patients (46 men; age 64 ± 10) with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) referred for catheter coronary angiography (CA) underwent CMR and computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA). All coronary segments were evaluated for morphological stenosis based on CA. Any plaque according to its composition was assessed based on CTCA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Numbers of total and calcified coronary artery plaques represented the best predictors of myocardial ischaemia (AUC = 0.87; [95%CI: 0.77-0.97] and AUC = 0.87; [95%CI: 0.77-0.96], respectively, p = 0.56) with the total plaque number significantly higher in patients with corresponding ischaemia than those without (p < 0.01, p < 0.05 adjusted for pre-test probability and stenosis). Compared with the AUC of coronary stenosis assessment by CA (AUC = 0.90; [95%CI: 0.80-1.00]), AUCs were equivalent using either the total number or the number of calcified plaques alone (p = 0.73 and p = 0.69). Multivariate logistic regression analyses demonstrated the total plaque number as an independent predictor of ischaemia (odds +20%; [95%CI: 1.096-1.368]), improving a model including clinical probability estimates of CAD (c-statistics, 0.66 to 0.89).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Coronary artery plaque number according to CTCA is a significant, independent predictor of myocardial ischaemia with similar accuracy to stenosis assessment.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. pstolzmann@partners.org
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Stolzmann
authors.forename: Olivio F
authors.initials: OF
authors.lastname: Donati
authors.forename: Lotus
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Desbiolles
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kozerke
authors.forename: Udo
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.forename: Hatem
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Alkadhi
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Scheffel
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D019540:Area Under Curve; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003287:Contrast Media; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007472:Iohexol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D016015:Logistic Models; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D007472:Iohexol; C038192:iopromide